Unsupervised Youngsters
by Steele Rose
Summary: It doesn't take long for Mob to make some new friends in high school. With two new esper friends bringing him along on some unnecessary and dangerous adventures, how will he be able to live his school life normally like he wants to?
1. The First Few Days

_I've had some Mob Psycho withdrawals recently so I felt like I needed to write something for it. It's been well over a year since I last wrote something._

 ** _Just a heads up, this takes place well after the webcomic ends so there are some very minor spoilers for those who haven't read all of the webcomic. Nothing too experience ruining, no specific event is mentioned, but there are some minor context things that wouldn't make sense for those who haven't read all the way through or only watched the anime._**

* * *

Today was the first day of Shigeo's high school life. He was never a special student, Shigeo was sure his brother Ritsu would get into a more prestigious school than him, but nevertheless Shigeo's hard work still got him into one of the more well-respected high schools in Spice City. Oregano High School was a little ways off, so he needed to take the train to get there from his house, something he never needed to do before.

This was a small change in his lifestyle, as Oregano High School was still close enough to his house that he could stay with his family. Still, Shigeo couldn't help but miss the thought of walking to and from school every day.

Waiting for the train was something new too. Standing still among the crowd waiting to cram himself into a train car was something Shigeo never liked, but up until now he was glad it was something he didn't need to deal with on a regular basis.

Most importantly, this was a fresh start. Nobody he talked to in Salt Mid was also attending Oregano High. So as far as Shigeo and anyone else knew, he didn't have psychic powers whenever he was in school.

So he was just waiting here now. At the very least, being alone in the crowd wasn't anything new.

"Oh, Mob-kun."

The boy turned his head to see a familiar face. The News Club girl that pestered Shigeo around for a year about showing off his psychic powers, Mezato Ichi, was standing before him. The two of them hadn't met since graduation, and though they weren't in the same class for their third year, Mezato made sure to keep in contact with him in the Body Improvement Club's clubroom. It was weird to see her wearing a different school uniform from the one he was used to that girls wear at Salt Middle School. Although Shigeo could say the same about himself in his new wardrobe.

"Mezato-san." He acknowledged.

The girl picked up her pace to stand next to him. "Long time no see, Mob-kun. Nice to see you again."

The boy nodded. "Mm. I take it you're commuting to school as well?"

"Yup!" She adjusted her navy jacket and showed off her mirrorless camera. It's new, sleek, black and professional—an adult upgrade from the pink digital camera she carried around at Salt Middle School. "I'm going to Lemon Pepper High School. I've already made contact with the school newspaper there."

Shigeo smiled. "Oh, I see," He wasn't surprised. Mezato was always one to take the initiative. "Your love of scoops hasn't changed."

"Nope. Where are you going to school, Mob-kun?"

"Oregano High School."

"Oh, that's actually really close to Lemon Pepper."

"Yup."

Shigeo turned back to the tracks. He'd been waiting there for a few minutes now. Hopefully there were no delays. He didn't want to be late for his high school debut.

"In case you're wondering, the trains should be operating on time. It should be here any minute."

"Oh, that's good. How was your break, Mezato-san?"

"Boring. I worked part-time at a grocery store. I spent most of my time there earning money so I could buy this." She lifts up the camera hanging from her neck.

"Oh, that's nice. I'm sure you don't regret it now that you got what you wanted."

"Are you still working at Reigen's?"

"No. He's letting me focus on school, but I still visit sometimes. Serizawa-san and Tome-chan are really helpful to have around, too. Ah, it's here."

The two of them boarded the train, and as the crowd began entering the car with them, Shigeo realized that they were both now invading each other's personal space in order to make conversation.

Not that Mezato seemed to notice or mind. "Kurata-senpai? Last time I was there she was just lying around playing games. Ah! That reminds me…"

The rest of the train ride was surprisingly pleasant. Though Mezato mellowed out in their third year, Shigeo could still clearly remember her crowding him whenever she wanted him to try something just the year before. Apparently, Mezato had visited Reigen's a few times over the course of the break, but Shigeo hadn't been there during any of the times she came.

At the very least, it was nice to know that Shigeo still had someone from his middle school years that he could talk to during his commutes.

Maybe he should give Inugawa a call later to see how he's doing.

* * *

Lunch break. Shigeo thought he would never get to this point. After the long-winded orientation and class introductions, he was afraid this lunch break would be characterized by brevity. His mouth watered at the thought of the lunch he prepared for himself last night as he reached inside his bag for it.

Already though, somebody had approached him expecting to start a conversation. A skinny boy with neatly swept dark hair faded at the sides. Judging by his lean frame and broad shoulders, perhaps this boy was an athlete? He was barely taller than Shigeo, who was already a short person for his age.

The boy took the empty seat on the desk behind Shigeo and leaned in close. "Hey, you. You're the esper kid, right? The one from Salt Mid?" He shadowed a hand over his mouth so only Shigeo could hear.

Shigeo's eyes widened and he frantically looked around at the other students to see if any of them were listening. "Um, no. I don't know what you're talking about." He said unconvincingly.

The boy chuckled. "The way you're acting right now is making me rethink that. Come on, you can trust me! I just got into this school like everyone else in this room! I don't have any friends to gossip with yet."

Shigeo rubbed his hands together nervously. "Um, you are..?"

The boy blinked and scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Oh! Sorry. That was rude of me to just intrude on you like that without introducing myself properly," He put out a hand. "I'm Kuroda Isamu, from Sesame Mid."

He takes the handshake. "Kageyama Shigeo. Salt Mid."

"So are you that esper kid or not?"

Shigeo shifted. "Um, why don't we talk about it after school?"

Kuroda chuckles again and takes a bagged sandwich out of his bag. "Well, actually I was planning on meeting with the Track & Field team after school today. Anyway, I'm just going to assume I'm right because of the way you're acting."

Shigeo didn't say anything in response. Sure, it was nice that on the first day someone was already trying to make friends with him, but this pressing for information reminded him of somebody. Somebody he had actually met on his way to school today…

Kuroda sighed and took a drink from his water bottle. "Well, if you don't want to talk about it now, that's fine. We could always talk about it some other time. So… what kind of stuff are you into?"

Shigeo smiled. The conversation quickly took a turn towards becoming friendly chit chat. It was nice to know that Kuroda was at least willing to talk to Shigeo regardless.

"Not much."

Unbeknownst to them, another student sitting a few desks in front of them had been eavesdropping on their conversation, headphones on the ears but the sound turned off.

* * *

The next day, Shigeo agreed to meet with Kuroda at a cheap curry restaurant near the school. The esper boy didn't have a lot of money on him since he hadn't been working. Not like his old mentor paid him much anyway. He hadn't visited in a while. Maybe he should stop by…

Kuroda greeted him at the entrance and they entered together. At this time of day, there weren't many other patrons.

Shigeo froze for a bit. He could feel it. There was another esper here. The power was very weak, but it was definitely there.

"So," Kuroda began after they were seated. The booth they were in would make it difficult for them to see who was seated in the other booths. "If my perception and calculations are correct, you are the same esper kid who basically blew up and then reconstructed Black Vinegar a couple years back. Isn't that right, Kageyama?"

"Um…"

Kuroda raised an eyebrow and smiled sheepishly. "Still don't trust me?" When the boy opposite him said nothing, he tapped his fingers against the table. "Alright, how about this? Take out your phone."

Shigeo frowned. "Um, sure. "

"Alright, now go to your photos and choose a random picture. Don't show it to me."

Shigeo had a feeling he knew where this was going. "Are you-"

"Come on, now. Just do it! It'll be fun!" Kuroda smiled.

He couldn't help but smile back and obliged. Looking through his photos, he decided on a recent photo he took of a frog resting by the road after a rain storm.

"You pick one?"

Shigeo nodded. "Yeah."

Kuroda furrowed his brows and stared straight into Shigeo's eyes. This made him a bit uncomfortable, but Shigeo decided to do nothing. The other boy looked like he was holding his breath.

Finally, Kuroda relaxed and sighed. "That's a nice frog." He said simply.

Shigeo raised an eyebrow curiously. "Are you…"

"Yup! I'm an esper too. I have visual clairvoyance, as in, I can see through another person's eyes."

"Oh."

"Not only that, but I can chain these too. If I were to look through your eyes, and there was somebody else in your field of vision whose eyes are visible, I could look through that person's eyes too."

Shigeo smiled. "Really?"

"Yup! Although my vision gets a little blurrier the more people I try to chain together, and I have to hold my breath while I do it so I can usually only keep it up for about a minute."

Shigeo couldn't help but feel a bit intrigued. "Does anyone else know about this?"

"Just my family and a few close friends. Honestly, I haven't really found many uses for it aside from convenient things like checking what the time is or seeing the view of someone who's on a rooftop or something. I'm not that strong, honestly."

Shigeo smiled. That probably explained why he couldn't pick up his psychic energy earlier while they were around other students. Also, it relieved him to know that the esper he had sensed was just Kuroda. "That's okay. You know, we don't really need our psychic powers."

Kuroda grinned and leaned back, sighing. "Yeah, I guess not." Then his eyes opened and he looked back at Shigeo with a goofy grin.

"Um…"

"You just said we!" He exclaimed with a point.

Shigeo inhaled and looked to the side. "I guess I did, huh."

"So, no more hiding it now! Are you the one who caused that ruckus in Black Vinegar?"

Shigeo looked around carefully. "Kuroda, promise me you won't tell anyone?"

"If you really don't want me to, I won't. We're friends now, right?"

Shigeo stared at him. He looked completely sincere.

"Yes, I suppose," Kuroda looked at him expectantly. "Okay. I guess if you already figured it out, there's no reason for me to hide it."

Shigeo used his telekinetic power to pull the napkin on Kuroda's side of the table towards himself. Then, he wiped the screen of his phone a bit before handing it back. The other boy looked ecstatic. "I have… telekinesis, I guess."

"Dude. If that Black Vinegar thing was really you, then that's an understatement. No 'I guess' there."

Shigeo looked away guiltily. "Um, that was an accident. A lot has happened to me since then and I think I can safely say that my powers won't go out of hand like that anymore."

Kuroda whistled. "Boy, I sure hope not. Even in school, I can basically feel your presence the whole day. You must have a lot of latent power, Kageyama."

'Latent' wasn't quite the correct word to describe it, but Shigeo decided not to say anything.

Then, Kuroda laughed heartily. "Hey! We just met yesterday and we already share a secret with one another."

Still, the boy couldn't help but laugh a bit with him. "Yes. Yes you're right."

The two of them laughed a bit together before turning their conversation towards normal high schooler topics.

Again, there was a hidden pair of ears on their conversation. Sitting at the table right behind Kuroda was the same classmate of theirs who had heard their conversation the day before. Smiling, the student quickly finished up her food and got up to pay and leave.

* * *

Shigeo decided to go to the after-school Track & Field meeting with Kuroda the following day. Though he didn't have any plans of joining, he was still curious to see how things worked there. His time with the Body Improvement Club wasn't for nothing. Maybe there was something there for him.

Just as the two of them went outside, a girl stepped in front of them and cut them off.

She said nothing and just stared at them curiously. She had a pair of dark blue headphones around her neck. Shigeo could faintly hear music playing through them.

Kuroda scratched his nose. "Um… Do you need something?"

"Yes." She said quickly. Her short, messy brown hair poofed outwards just a little bit. Just from her unique hair texture she would likely be immediately identifiable in a crowd. It probably looked awful in the morning. "I want to talk to the two of you for a bit."

The two boys began walking forward and past her again. "Nah. We have somewhere to be."

The girl swerved around in surprise. "Wait!" She shouted. They turned back around as she approached them again. "Kageyama-kun. I know you aren't in the Track & Field club! Come back here."

Kuroda looked at Shigeo and then looked back at the girl. She was in their class. She wasn't very talkative, and she never looked like someone who was easy to approach. What was her name? Morita? Morikawa?

"I'm Morishima Airi. I'm in your class."

Kuroda snapped a finger! "Oh, yeah! That's right!" He took her hand and shook it. "Nice to meet you, Morishima-san. Anyway, we have somewhere we gotta be so, see you later."

The two of them began walking forward again.

"Hey. Stop that. I want to talk to you."

The two of them turned around again. "Hey. Can't you see we're busy? The Track & Field club expects me to be there. I don't want to be late on my first day."

Morishima pointed a finger at Shigeo. "But you aren't on the Track team. I only need to talk to one of you anyway."

Shigeo shuffled his feet in discomfort. "What's so important that you need to talk to us so badly?" He asked.

Kuroda eyed her suspiciously as she placed both hands on her hips. Her dark smile was unnerving, like a dueler about to activate her trap card. "I know something about the two of you that nobody else does."

Shigeo and Kuroda glanced at each other nervously. It seemed like she had been following the conversations the two of them had been having. At the moment, they weren't sure how bad this could be. It was all up to Morishima's handling of this information. And she was definitely acting like a suspicious person.

Kuroda eyed her carefully. "Alright, we'll listen to what you have to say. But we still don't trust you."

Morishima's eye glinted as she saw three students walk by them. She glanced at Kuroda for a moment before putting up a hand in the direction of the other students.

Suddenly, the sprinkler next to them turned on and drenched them in a pressurized torrent, even knocking the smaller boy of the group off his feet.

"Whoa!" Kuroda yelped, shielding himself with his arms.

Kageyama, speechless, looked back over at Morishima, who then closed her hand causing the sprinkler to turn back off.

She turned to them again. "We'll be seeing a lot of each other now, won't we?" Then, she went over to help the students that she had just incapacitated with a spray of highly pressurized water.

This was unbelievable. It was barely halfway through the week and already Shigeo had run into two other espers who all happened to be in his class.

"What the hell?" Kuroda exclaimed. "Morishima-san!"

Shigeo was frozen. This wasn't a development he had expected to occur.

* * *

Morishima eyed Shigeo thoroughly, as if gleaning him for information without saying a word nor expecting one back.

Shigeo looked to the side nervously. "Um…"

She leaned her head to the side. "Hm?"

Shigeo really wished Kuroda was here to help him. The Kuroda claimed he was 'freaked out' and needed to get to his club meeting quickly. Now Shigeo and Morishima were seated across from each other at an outdoor chess table. Of course, they had no intention of actually playing chess. Never mind their lack of pieces at the moment.

"So," she finally began. Shigeo flinched. "Where did you go to middle school?"

"Uh. S-Salt Mid."

"How curious. I went to Sweet Chili Mid. Say, would you mind showing me some of your telekinesis?"

The boy simply nodded. He looked around to make sure no one was looking. Then, he shook a tree in his field of vision a bit harder than the wind would be capable of, knocking a few oranges down to the grass.

"Oh!" Morishima clapped.

"Please, Morishima-san," Shigeo pleaded. "I was hoping to live a decently normal high school life. Tell no one about this."

"Okay, then," She huffed. "In order to stay on your good side I suppose I have no choice but to oblige. I don't gain from spreading this around with others anyway. What else can you do?"

Shigeo thought for a moment. "I can also see and exorcise evil spirits I guess."

"Really, now? Well. Why don't you show me your full power."

Shigeo flinched once again. Reel back any farther and he'll eventually hit the back of his head on the ground. "M-Morishima-san! I can't do that! People will see, and someone will definitely get hurt. You included!"

She merely smiled back at him. Though she herself seemed normal and harmless enough, her smile made her look like some kind of devil in disguise. Was it the way she narrowed her eyes with the promise of mischief? Maybe it was the fact that she had basically just appeared out of nowhere and was now pressing him.

She stood up finally. "Fine. I have to get home to cook for my younger brother anyway. Why don't we exchange our cell numbers?"

Shigeo obliged, more out of fear than anything. "Um, yeah. Sure."

"And give me Kuroda's too."

"Yeah, yeah." They exchanged numbers quickly.

With that, she got up and left. Still, Shigeo knew nothing about her. He only just realized that he was so uncomfortable that he forgot to take the opportunity to press her for information about herself.

* * *

Shigeo entered the train to see a familiar face sitting down in front of him.

"Mob-kun." Mezato said.

"Hi. It's been a few days." He said back.

Mezato moved over as Shigeo took a seat next to her. He hadn't noticed it before, but he was finally taller than her. Only just a bit, but at least he made it there.

"You said you go to Oregano High, right?" He nodded. "How have the first few days been?" She asked.

He smiled. "They've been great. I've already made a couple friends."

She blinked. "I can't say I'm surprised. You've become an easy person to talk to since last year. Have you joined any clubs yet?"

Shigeo shook his head. "Not yet, but I have a friend in the Track & Field club."

Mezato eyed him down carefully. "So," she started. "Have you met anyone… interesting?"

Shigeo didn't detect her increased interest. "Like what?"

"You know…"

"A girlfriend? Mezato-san, it's only been a few-"

She frowned. "What? No. I'm talking espers! You know, paranormal activity. Exciting encounters. Deals with the extraordinary."

Shigeo flinched. "W-what? O-of course not! What would make you think that?"

She looked at him suspiciously again. "Hmm. Well, I suppose it's only been a few days since I last saw you. But you have to promise me! If anything amazing happens, you have to tell me about it!"

Shigeo blinked and shook his head. "I shouldn't. Mezato-san, I know you well enough to know that you're too eager to stay uninvolved. It can be really dangerous, you know."

She shook her head at her roughly and continued, eyes sparkling. "Well, I still have your cell number, so if I don't see you at the train station during the week, I can give you a call, or…" She trailed off.

Shigeo tilted his head. "Or…?"

She tapper her finger against her chin a couple of times in thought. "You know, Mob-kun. You should visit some people from days past in case you get too busy during high school to see them. Since the school year has just started it might be the only chance you get."

Shigeo stared at her. Was she talking about Reigen? Tome-chan? Inugawa? The Body Improvement Club? He was still in contact with Inugawa and Sagawa from the Body Improvement Club. Maybe he should go and visit Reigen soon. Tome-chan and Serizawa-san worked there

Mezato looked at him expectantly.

"Y-you're right."

* * *

Shigeo lay back on his bed and stared at his phone. He was in a group text with Kuroda and Morishima now. He didn't expect to make two friends this quickly, especially not with two other espers. Well, if Morishima could really be considered a friend at the moment.

Kuroda had clairvoyance. He could see the world through the eyes of other people and, if he really put his mind to it, could see incredibly far away if he could change clairvoyances on different people together.

Morishima had the ability to psychically tamper with electronics. She could do anything like overload any electrical power source or turn things on or off among other things.

A message appeared.

 **Morishima: Lets meet up tomorrow! Theres a spooky alleyway uptown that people online have been saying has some bad omens and evil** **spirits**.

Another message appeared right after.

 **Kuroda: leave us alone. we dont care about some evil spirits or whatever**

 **Morishima: Oh come on. Itll be fun! It's just across the street from this really old candy shop. I spoke to Kageyama-kun for a bit after you went to your club you know. He can exorcise evil spirits.**

 **Kuroda: that doesnt mean he wants to come**

 **Morishima: Kageyama-kun?**

Shigeo thought about it for a moment. It had been a while since he did any exorcisms. As much as he hated to admit it, he kind of missed it.

 **Kageyama: Sure. I don't mind.**

Two messages appeared instantly and simultaneously.

 **Kuroda: WHAAAAAAT**

 **Morishima: Yay!**

Shigeo added.

 **Kageyama: I need to be somewhere right after school though. I'll call you after I'm finished and I'll meet you at the site.**

 **Morishima: Awesome! How about it Kuroda?**

 **Kuroda: i still dont think this is a good idea**

Shigeo smiled and decided to tease him.

 **Kageyama: I'll only go if Kuroda goes.**

He could only imagine what the other two looked like while they thought about that.

 **Morishima: Well?**

 **Kuroda: urgh. fine. call me first when youre ready kageyama**

 **Kageyama: Sure.**

Shigeo chuckled and put his phone aside. He would sometimes chat with Tome-chan and the others from the Telepathy club back in middle school, but he had a feeling that this would become a regular thing between the three of them in the future.

It's been a while since he called Tsubomi-chan.

The door to his room opened ever so slightly.

"Nii-san."

Shigeo turned to see his younger brother peeking at him through the door frame.

"Ritsu."

"You've looked… uh… quite happy throughout the whole week. Did something good happen?"

Shigeo shook his head. "No. Don't worry about me. I just made a few friends is all."

Ritsu frowned for a moment before shaking his head and giving a smile. "I see. Well, if you ever need anything-"

"I get it Ritsu. You don't have to worry about me. I'll talk to you still."

The two of them stared at each other before laughing.

"Alright. Well, good night." And with that, Ritsu closed the door.

Shigeo rolled over to look at his phone again to see that the other two had started chatting normally.

Isamu Kuroda was very excitable and easy to talk to. He could get a little nosy but he understood boundaries well enough to back off whenever he saw that Shigeo felt uncomfortable. He was pretty open in any conversation and never hid anything.

Airi Morishima was an odd one. Though he had only met her earlier that day, Shigeo was already able to tell that she was of an elusive kind. Her mischievous intentions showed easily through her voice, and she always held this oddly unnerving smile. When they meet again tomorrow, maybe she'll come across as being less sketchy.

Shigeo silently put his phone on the nightstand and went to sleep.

* * *

 _So if you know me as an author, you'll probably realize that I don't update very regularly. I'm hoping to at least get this thing off the ground and running before I start updating this thing at a multiple months passed per chapter pace._

 _In any case, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so hopefully the next one will come soon!_


	2. Rage!

_Mob Psycho 100 Season 2 baybee!_

* * *

It was lunch break again, which meant:

"Kageyama! Eat lunch with me!"

Two voices. One masculine, excited and friendly. The other feminine, reserved, if not a bit coy.

"Um, sure." Shigeo responded.

Kuroda and Morishima looked at each other briefly. Morishima merely gave him a dark smirk, which wasn't returned.

"Fine, then." Kuroda said. He grabbed a seat and placed it in front of Shigeo. Morishima silently did the same.

Kageyama looked at the two students in front of him. The three of them had only just met earlier that week, but Kageyama already couldn't help but feel that there was some odd tension between the other two students.

Morishima cut straight to the point. "So! The place I was talking about is actually an old boxing gym that's been abandoned since its original owner died. His name was Coach Tadakoro, nicknamed "Rage" because of his unyielding determination and fiery personality. He wasn't a pro or anything, and it doesn't seem like there's any record of him leaving behind a family, but he was well known for being a really harsh trainer, and he faced threats of closure many times before his death because of verbal abuse."

"Wow. Sounds like a great guy." Kuroda sarcastically commented.

Morishima smiled and continued. "Another building was built right in front of its entrance right after it closed down, so people have completely forgotten about the gym's existence. I went to go check the place out yesterday and it doesn't seem like anybody has gone inside in a long time."

Kuroda sighed. "Couldn't you think of a more normal hangout idea for our first time out? You know… karaoke, watching a baseball game, going to the arcade, going to the mall."

"It'll be fun! We should make the start of our high school lives memorable! What do you think, Kageyama-kun?"

Shigeo wasn't exactly ready to tell them that this was just daily life for him back in middle school. Exorcisms, exploring supposedly haunted places, avoiding shady people. Shigeo was hoping to keep all of that behind him.

Originally, that is.

Oddly enough, Shigeo couldn't help but feel a little bit excited at the thought. He always had Reigen supervising him when he went on excursions like this. The idea of going on one on his own with two friends who were also espers never really crossed his mind. Sure, these two were inexperienced and probably didn't know what they were getting into.

Shigeo could take care of them though, right? He just had to keep an eye on them, maybe even do all of the work.

Maybe just a trial run.

Shigeo shrugged. "Sure. Let's do it." His middle school self would've hated him for this.

Morishima clasped her hands together. "Yay!"

"But listen first, Morishima-san." Shigeo says. Morishima tilts her head expectantly. "I'm hoping this doesn't become a regular thing for us."

The light in her eyes dimmed a little bit, but she agreed. "Sure, sure."

"And don't go on these kinds of adventures by yourself." Shigeo added.

"Yeah, yeah."

"And don't go in until I get there." He asserted.

"Mmhmm."

"And make sure someone knows where you are at all times. And don't overestimate the necessity of your powers. And make sure you eat before we go. And also-"

"Kageyama."

Shigeo was surprised to hear that Kuroda was the one who cut him off.

Shigeo blinked as he realized that he had become a bit too doting and flushed. "Um, sorry."

The other boy laughed a little. "That was a bit much, don't you think? You could've just said that we should wait for you. I know you said you had somewhere you needed to be right after school. Morishima and I will go there first and wait for you before we start exploring."

The girl simply giggled and dug into her lunch for the first time.

Kuroda looked at her cautiously. "I also agree with you that maybe this shouldn't become a regular thing."

The two of them stole a glance back at Morishima again, a bit intimidated. She simply payed them no mind and happily continued eating.

* * *

Reigen's Spirit Council. It's probably been some three or four months since his last visit. He used to come here almost every day to be paid well below an acceptable wage. But Shigeo felt that the experiences he had under Reigen were much more valuable than any sum of money Reigen could have given him. Shigeo wondered how different things would have been had he never come here, for both of them.

Scratching his chin, the boy entered without knocking.

"Hello. I'm entering."

Reigen was there behind the counter, looking as youthful as ever even at the age of 30. Dimple simply hovered behind him lazily. Tome-chan was lounging around on one of the couches looking at her phone. There was a handheld game system on her lap. It looked like Serizawa-san wasn't here today.

"Mob. Hey," Reigen got up from behind his counter to go greet him. "It's been quite a while."

Both Tome and Dimple greeted him with a simple "Yo."

Then, Dimple's face scrunched up in disgust. "What is she doing here?"

Before Shigeo could say anything, Reigen raised an eyebrow and spun a finger to motion behind Shigeo.

The boy turned his head.

Mezato was there.

"You're so predictable, Mob-kun."

"Huh."

Dimple winced upon hearing her voice.

Reigen put a hand on his shoulder and shook him playfully. "Did she drag you here herself this time? You know she's come here before."

Shigeo shrugged. "No. I thought I came alone."

Mezato frowned. "I was just waiting for you outside. I'm surprised you didn't see me, but a little less so that you even came at all."

"What have you been up to, Mob?" Tome-chan called out from her seat, ignoring the other girl.

What seemed like a previously dull atmosphere was lit up the moment Shigeo came in. Though Reigen's business didn't exactly surge in popularity before, Shigeo's absence and an increased maturity in the work place has caused Reigen to take clients at a much more relaxed pace. Having Dimple, Serizawa and Tome-chan around gave Reigen the flexibility to nurture any other interests that came up.

Shigeo shifted a little bit to look at the desk behind Reigen. If that was any indication, it would seem that his mentor had taken up bonsai nursery. Knowing him, this hobby would probably be short-lived.

Shigeo placed his bag on the floor beside the couch and took a seat next to Tome-chan. "I am a high schooler now. I've already made a few friends, so I figured I should visit again for old time's sake."

Tome-chan eyed Shigeo suspiciously and glanced at Mezato before turning back to him.. "Well you haven't been here in a while. Inugawa and I have been talking still, you know. He says you two haven't met up in a while."

"Yes, well, I suppose it's hard to make time for everyone."

Dimple floated over to the two of them, Reigen following. "What about me, Shige? I've been oh so busy working here that you never bothered to check up on me!"

"There's nothing stopping you from coming to my house."

Mezato tilted her head in confusion. "Um, what? Did you say something, Kurata-senpai?"

The girl raised an eyebrow before snorting and giving her a sorry look. "Oh, you can't see or hear him can't you? Heehee."

This time it was Shigeo's turn to tilt his head. "Tome-chan? You can see him too?"

The journalist girl scratched her head. "Wha?"

This was a familiar atmosphere, and one that he kind of missed. The hectic transitional period that came with Shigeo's move to high school left him with little time to relax, and coming here brought him back. It's a bit more crowded than usual though.

"Anyway, I'll only be here for a little bit. I promised to meet up with my friends after this."

Reigen took a seat back behind his desk and looked up. "Oh, I don't expect you to work or anything, so just sit back and take a breather."

The boy obliged and sat there silently. Again, a familiar scene, though it was interesting to see the familiar scenes of Tome-chan playing video games on a couch and Reigen calmly working behind his desk being put together.

Mezato took a seat across from Shigeo and smirked. "So, you're meeting up with your friends after this?"

"Yeah. It'll be our first time hanging out. There's only 3 of us."

Tome-chan smiled. "I see you wasted no time making friends."

"Mmhmm."

"What are you guys gonna do? Some karaoke? Going shopping? Playing video games at someone's house?"

"Something like that."

Mezato narrowed an eye. "That's oddly vague."

Shigeo shook his head. "It isn't anything special. We're just hanging out."

Shigeo couldn't see it, but the four other entities in the room eyed him suspiciously.

Dimple snorted. "Okay." He chided.

* * *

Mezato walked behind Mob; About 20 yards behind him, with a small crowd of people in between them. She'd planned on doing this anyway, but the two people at Reigen's Spirit Council insisted she tail Mob in order to find out what he was up to. That was the green light, now she can see what the idol of the now-defunct Psycho Helmet Cult was up to without worrying about someone else blowing her cover.

Mob was such a serene walker. His posture never faltered, and his steadily light footsteps made Mob look like the most peaceful teenager in the world. Since Mob probably wasn't too familiar with her school uniform, her disguise was as simple as putting on a pair of lensless glasses, a black baseball cap, and tying her orange uniform jacket around her waist. She took off her ribbon neck-tie too just in case.

The boy was so obviously vague with his descriptions that there was no way he was going to a simple hang out. Trouble never left Mob alone for too long.

The trek took about 20 minutes before Mob seemed to have found the place he was trying to get to. Mob stared down at his phone for a bit. The girl guessed that he was trying to get in contact with the friends he was supposed to meet with.

Mezato carefully positioned herself behind a telephone pole as the boy looked around cautiously. Then, Mob slinked away into an alley. The girl quickly took her camera out of her bag and followed.

She slowly approached the break between the two buildings and sidled up against the corner of one. The girl took off her cap and glasses and peered her head around the wall.

She didn't get much of a look before somebody grabbed her by the arm and pulled her in.

"Whoa!"

She was pushed against the wall and another hand pinned her shoulder against it. A boy, likely her age. Except she didn't recognize him. His dark hair was cleanly swept sideways. His school uniform was the same as Shigeo's.

"Who are you?" He asked.

Mezato scowled back at him. "I'm with Lemon Pepper High School's newspaper! You Oregano kids look like you're up to something. This is Coach Tadakoro's abandoned gym isn't it? There have been rumors of supernatural occurrences here. You shouldn't be here!"

The stranger boy backed off of her and put a hand on his head in confusion. "A reporter? Kageyama why do you have a reporter from Lemon Pepper following you?"

Mezato turned her head to see Mob and another girl with messy brown hair standing near the entrance.

"Mezato-san?" The boy asked. He looked surprised, but otherwise unbothered by her appearance.

The other girl glanced at Mob and gave a dark smile. "You know her, Kageyama-kun? You never told us you would bring any friends."

The new boy shook his head. "No. She's been following him. Kageyama never realized."

Mezato placed a thumb on her chin, thinking for a moment. She pointed a finger at Mob. "So you were getting involved in some ghostly shenanigans! I knew you were hiding something!"

The new boy shook his head roughly again and moved over to block the other two from Mezato's line of sight. "Why are you here? What do you want with Kageyama?"

The reporter girl blinked and looked aside uncomfortably. She really only followed Mob because she was curious about the slight chance he'd be doing something interesting. She glanced around the strange boy to see Mob eyeing her curiously. She always knew Mob had a cautious trust towards her.

"Um. Mob-er, Kageyama-kun's the type of person who would get in a lot of trouble. I had a feeling he'd be able to lead me towards an interesting story." It was partially truthful.

The boy looked at her suspiciously. Then, he walked over to Mob to whisper something into his ear. Mob simply shook his head, to which the other boy sighed in relief.

The brown-haired girl walked over. "In any case. We can't have you with us here. I'm sorry, but you have to leave."

Mezato stood her ground. "Make me."

The two of them stared each other down. Then, the other girl saw her camera and smirked.

"Well then." She raised a hand. Mezato held her stare.

Mob saw this and jumped over to grab the other girl by the shoulders. "Morishima-san! Don't!"

The other girl, now known as Morishima, pouted. "Huh? Why?"

"She worked really hard to earn that. It'll make her really upset if you broke it."

Hearing this, Mezato subconsciously put a hand on her camera. Did this girl seriously consider destroying a stranger's belonging? What kind of people was Mob associating himself with?

Morishima sighed, still smiling her dark smile. "Oh, alright. But we still can't have her here."

The reporter girl stuck a tongue out at her before turning back to the other boy. "How did you know I was following him?"

The boy's eyes widened and he looked around nervously. "Ah, well. I saw Kageyama from across the street and realized you were there as well."

That couldn't be right. Ever since they turned onto this street Mezato was watching this alley closely. She never saw this boy walk out to check if Mob was there.

This was becoming more and more suspicious. Mezato was getting concerned. "Mob-kun? What's going on?"

The familiar boy lightly pushed the other one aside. "It's alright Mezato-san. We just came here to check this place out. We won't be long."

He gave her a sweet smile to reassure her, but she didn't budge.

"I'm not going anywhere." She affirmed.

Mezato watched cautiously as the three other high schoolers before her came together and began discussion.

"Kuroda? How long was she following me for?"

"Well, I only saw you once you turned onto our street, but it looks like she was following you for a while."

"Huh? Really? I never noticed."

"Heehee. You aren't very observant of your surroundings when you're focused on something, Kageyama-kun."

Mezato cleared her throat. "I can hear you, you know."

The three of them turned to her, causing her to back up into the wall a bit more.

She continued. "We can sit here and wait until a police officer sees us and tells us to scram. Or, maybe you can tell me what you're really up to."

The three of them looked at each other. Kuroda shrugged and turned back to her. "Kageyama was telling the truth. We just wanted to check this place out because we were curious."

"Are you espers too?"

The other two students looked surprised at this question. Mezato smirked. She hit the mark. If she was wrong that would have been bad. She knew Mob liked to keep his powers a secret, but these two students were acting too suspicious to just be normal students.

Morishima simply smiled, but Kuroda began scratching his cheek with a finger and looked up nervously. "Um. I-I don't know what you're talking a-about." He managed to say.

"Very well," Morishima began. "Yes, we are. Now, if you'll excuse us, we'll be exploring this rumored haunted place on our own."

Morishima grabbed Kuroda by the back of his uniform collar and dragged him into the building. Mob gave Mezato an apologetic look.

"Sorry, Mezato-san. I had a feeling this would happen."

She took the camera from around her neck and put it back in her bag. "You've been hiding interesting things from me for too long Mob-kun. This time, I'm gonna take the initiative and make sure I'm there for everything that happens in this city!"

Mob blinked. "I see, well. I guess I'll see you again next time we meet on the train platform."

"What?"

Mob entered the building and shut the door close behind him before Mezato could follow him.

She ran to the entrance and pulled on the door handle.

"Damn it! It's locked." Mezato stepped back and analyzing the building in front of her.

"There has to be another way inside."

* * *

Kuroda raised an eyebrow as the door behind Shigeo shook violently. "Huh? What did you do?"

"I locked her out."

The clairvoyant boy stared at the key hole on the door. There was no way Shigeo could have locked it without a key, right?

Morishima skipped ahead. "Let's get going!"

"Let's go." Kuroda said.

Shigeo simply stood in place and checked his surroundings. Even though it was still the afternoon, the building's tight placement between the other buildings around it allowed very little light to come through the windows. From what Shigeo could see, the gym was spacious. It seemed to mostly be one big room. There were two boxing rings placed in the center of the room and three overhead lights hanging over them. Heavy bags were situated on the far right corner, and a mirror covered the entire far left corner of the room. Dust and dirt filled the place with a sense of desolation.

Places like this were perfect for evil spirits to hang around. Despite that, Shigeo couldn't sense a thing.

Kuroda and Morishima walked up to a speed bag hanging from a lowered part of the ceiling. "You know," Kuroda said. He lightly punched the bag. "My uncle brought me to a boxing gym once. He taught me how to do this."

He began punching the bag in rhythm. Morishima sighed and walked over to the ring.

She placed a hand on the canvas. "This is weird. It seems like most if not all of the equipment in this gym's still here. Normally an unoccupied lot like this would get cleaned out."

Shigeo looked up at the lights again. "Morishima-san, could you try turning on those lights, please?" He asked with a point.

Morishima frowned. "This place has been abandoned for quite a number of years. They've probably long burned out, but I'll give it a try."

The girl raised a fist up at the bulbs and opened it.

Surprisingly enough, the middle bulb actually began flickering rapidly like an eye with a lash caught in it.

Then, Shigeo saw it.

Flickering in the darkness with the light, an ethereal being's presence persisted in the far end of the room behind the other boxing ring. Shigeo couldn't get a good look at it, and it hid its spiritual presence well.

Then, the lightbulb blew out and shattered.

"Whoa!" Morishima and Kuroda both jumped away in surprise as the bulb's glass shards crumbled to the floor. Just like that, darkness covered the room again and the being from before disappeared.

Shigeo wordlessly took a step towards where the spirit had been. His two friends might have bit off more than they could chew by coming here.

"We have company." Shigeo stated.

* * *

The gym's exterior wall had been taken over by nature. The cement and brick walls were horribly cracked, and moss thrived on the mortared crevices on the bricks. Both windows were boarded. The planks were beginning to fall apart, but even then Mezato wasn't sure she was strong enough to take them off. Doing something like that might be too dangerous anyhow.

The front door wasn't boarded up, so why were the windows? Something doesn't seem right.

Mezato approached the windows and examined the wood slowly. They were creaking. In fact, it looked like they were deteriorating right before her eyes.

She wasn't crazy, right?

One of the planks suddenly snapped with a loud noise and fell off. She backed off as the ruined wood hit the ground. Then, four more planks followed, and suddenly the entire window was accessible.

Mezato looked around frantically. She wasn't actually going crazy was she?

She slowly pushed up the glass pane and peered inside. It seems this window lead to a different room from the entrance. A closet maybe?

She took a discarded folding chair from nearby and pulled herself through the window using it as leverage. Then, the chair fell apart in a pile of metallic bits. Well, she was inside. No reason to turn back now.

As she had guessed, this room actually was a closet. The shelves were emptied for the most part, and the light leaking through the window was enough to illuminate most of the room, as slight as it was. It was oddly cold. At this time of year there was no reason for a place like this to become this cold. She rubbed her frigid hands and breathed into them, the visible mist spreading outward into the darkness.

She could hear the voices of the other three through the closet door, which was partially open. If she could stay quiet enough, she could exit the closet and stay undetected in the darkness. She shivered, the cold still taking her.

At that same moment, a ghostly mist formed behind her, emitting no light and camouflaged in the shadows. It followed closely behind her, the girl completely ignorant.

Mezato opened the door as quietly as she could, causing a slight creak, and shimmied through the space she created. When she took a few steps forward, she was caught off-guard when the door behind her slammed shut.

"Huh? What was that?" Kuroda asked. Mob and his friends turned to her direction.

"I'm gonna go investigate, stay here." Mob said.

"Hey, a-are you sure about that? This is getting ki-kinda weird. I think it'd be better if we just left." Kuroda said again.

Mezato blinked frantically and tried to move to cover. She didn't want to be seen, so she hid herself behind the canvas cover of the raised platform. It was then that she felt a cold tingle in her spine, and her knees buckled underneath her. She lost all control of her body as she froze. Panicked, she frantically looked around her as darkness overcame her. She couldn't breathe, and she blacked out.

* * *

Shigeo stepped forward. The presence was no longer hidden. He could feel the spiritual energy bursting from in front of him. His two friends watched him from behind. Morishima hadn't said anything, but Kuroda was surprisingly timid in this kind of situation.

A silhouette emerged from behind the ring and walked out. Shigeo took another step forward and strained his eyes at the figure.

"Um. Mezato-san?" She looked oddly unfamiliar for someone that he knew quite well. "How did you get in?"

The girl rubbed her eyes and glared at him. That's when Shigeo realized why she exuded the ominousness of a stranger.

The atmosphere of dread he was feeling was coming from her.

Shigeo stepped forward again. The power he sensed coming from her was immense.

 _ **"How?"**_ Mezato began. Her voice was the same, but it did not sound like her. Her timbre felt like a chain link slamming into a metal door in Shigeo's ears. _**"This girl's body is filled to the brim with determination! Her will is greater than most of the sorry fighters I've ever had in this gym! How can this be!? Hahahahaha!"**_

Shigeo sighed. This is why he always avoided having Mezato or any of his friends follow him on his endeavors during his time with Reigen. It was always dangerous, and an unexperienced child would always be a liability. After all, he first met her when he met Dimple, and that didn't end so well for everybody involved.

Kuroda let out a deep breath and inhaled again sharply. "Something's wrong, Kageyama. She doesn't look like she did when we were outside!"

For whatever reason he was still on the other side of the room while Morishima had already gotten closer to see what was going on.

Morishima sighed. "Well, duh. It doesn't take someone with clairvoyance to figure that out."

Shigeo looked back at the two. "You two should leave. This is getting really bad. I'll handle this on my own."

The girl scowled. "Who do you think you are, Kageyama-kun? And what kind of people do you think we are to just leave you behind like this?"

Mezato laughed, uncharacteristic in its malice. _ **"At last. Young people, bodies ripe with physical potential, have finally decided to come here. You three neophytes look like you could use some hard-nosed physical training! Especially you, boy."**_ She pointed at Shigeo.

The boy shook his head in response. "No, I'm okay. I have my own body improvement regimen that I do."

Again, she laughed. _**"What? Are you serious? I don't believe you, you're skinnier than a flyweight! A punch from even my weakest lightweight fighters would put you to sleep!"**_

This must've been Coach Tadakoro, Shigeo thought. He's dealt with bodily possession before. If done incorrectly, it could do irreversible harm to the host's body. There was probably no way Tadakoro was as powerful as the last evil spirit Shigeo encountered to do a demonic possession. Shigeo considered Mezato a friend, he couldn't mess this exorcism up.

Mezato removed some of the excess weight from her body; her camera, the jacket around her waist, and her bag. Then, she began walking towards him. _**"Let me ask you a question, boy. In the sport of boxing, what attribute can a person have that is more valuable than any trainable ability?"**_

Shigeo stood his ground. "Determination to succeed." He answered.

 _ **"Heheh. Correct! Wow, first try! Another question! Why do you think I would choose this girl's body, which has no psychic power whatsoever, over any of you three?"**_

"I don't know."

 _ **"Because."**_ Mezato squared her right foot toward him and dashed forward, landing a hard left straight against Shigeo's cheek, sending him flying backwards.

Morishima and Kuroda ran up to him. "Kageyama!"

With that, Mezato tapped her jaw three times with her knuckles. She assumed a southpaw boxing stance. _**"This body belongs to a friend of yours, doesn't it? Her desire to win, to reach her goals, to achieve her greatest dreams, this separates her from you three. And I absolutely love guiding these types of fighters."**_

She laughed again. _**"A vessel that belongs to that kind of person suits me much better."**_

Shigeo took Kuroda's hand and got up. "That took me by surprise," To both Morishima's and Kuroda's shock, Kageyama's face looked completely fine. He glanced at both of them before turning back to Mezato. Coming here was a mistake. Most spirits he came across weren't anywhere near as powerful as Coach Tadakoro. Still, he probably wasn't anything he couldn't handle. "Let me handle this. You two should go home."

Kuroda grabbed Shigeo's sleeve. "No! We can't just leave you here."

Morishima narrowed her eyes and turned to stare at Mezato. "Coach Tadakoro, right? How long has it been since you last trained anyone?"

Coach smirked. _**"Not as long ago as you think. Starting with the four of you, I'll revive this gym and turn it into an otherworldly training ground where mortals train with the dead to fight for life!"**_

She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

Then, the three of them felt the hairs on their arms stand up, and the room turned deathly cold. Desks, chairs and tables floated up from where they were and over their heads to block the entrance. They were trapped.

Then, they were suddenly surrounded as several ethereal boxers materialized around them.

 _ **"Welcome to Coach Rage's Boxing Gym!"**_

* * *

 _And we're underway! I know this took over a month, but this actually was a lot of fun to write. The new Reigen spin-off manga and the excitement of the anime's incoming second season has given me a lot of inspiration._

 _I wrote this chapter from both Mob and Mezato's point of view. While Mob is definitely the main character here, I'm going to be telling the story through the perspective of other characters sometimes. From what I have planned, I think the four main characters of today's chapter will probably get the most external narration. I have an important role planned for Ritsu too._

 _I also plan on having a lot of other characters to make appearances, so some characters like Teruki, Shou, Inugawa, Tsubomi, will make appearances too. Might even show some of the lesser-known but still recurring characters like Shinra Banshoumaru, Hoshino, Koyama, etc._

 _Until next time._


	3. Ding Ding Ding!

Shigeo checked his surroundings thoughtfully. He could probably exorcise all of those boxers at once with a wave of his hand. Tadakoro was able to deduce that the three of them were espers, but Shigeo hadn't given Tadakoro a reason to believe that he was significantly powerful. If he could end this quickly, the four of them could get out of this completely unharmed.

Maybe he should give Mezato-san a stern scolding, though both of them certainly knew that not only was Shigeo not good at that, but Mezato-san probably wouldn't listen anyway.

Rage smiled. It would probably look much more threatening if he wasn't using Mezato-san as a vessel. _**"You there. The one with the shoulders."**_ He pointed in their direction, singling out Kuroda.

"H-huh? You mean me?" The boy responded. He was shaking at the sight of the spectral boxers surrounding them.

 _ **"Yes, you. Why don't you get up onto the ring there and spar with one of my fighters? If you can knock him down, I'll even let you go."**_

Shigeo scowled at Rage, disappointment welling up inside of him. "And if he loses?"

 _ **"If he loses, I'll have him stay here for eternity as one of my novices."**_

Kuroda swallowed. "S-sir, I'm j-just a l-long di-distance runner. I can't fight." He stammered.

Deciding he'd heard enough, Shigeo raised his right hand and swiped towards the left in one swift motion. In an instant, all of the boxers surrounding them evaporated.

 _ **"W-what? HUUUUUUUUUH!?"**_

The other two esper teens blinked before making the same exclamation.

Suddenly, Rage was alone.

 _ **"Sh-shoot. I was hoping I wouldn't have to bring him out this quickly."**_

Kuroda felt his legs vibrate softly as his feet left the ground. He began to feel a bit nauseous as he levitated up and into the boxing ring.

"K-Kageyama!? What's happening!?" Kuroda shouted.

A cage rose up and surrounded the boxing ring, hitting the ceiling with a sharp clang.

 _ **"What's your name, son?" Rage asked.**_

"Huh? Um. Kuroda. I-Isamu Kuroda."

Then, the lights blinked on and flashed towards Kuroda.

 _ **"In the red corner! Making his boxing debut this afternoon! He hails from Oregano High School in Spice City! Standing at 173 cm! Isamu, 'Shoulders' Kuuuroooooooooodaa!"**_

"Wh-what's happening!?"

Then, a muscular, ethereal mass began to materialize in the opposite corner. The spotlight on Kuroda cut dead.

 _ **"In the blue corner! Entering tonight's bout with a record of 474 wins, 95 losses! Born, raised, and died in Spice City. Currently existing at a ghastly 184 cm! Kazuki "Warthog" Motoooookaaaaaaawaaaaa!"**_

The spirit in the other corner finished forming in a puff of smoke, his arms crossed. Tinted green, Warthog was a hulk of a man. Not particularly tall, but his arms were likely as wide as Kuroda's head. The mustache on his repulsive face shot forward like a pair of tusks, and his scalp sported a messy combover that somehow made him look even more terrifying than he already was. He wore a pair of blue boxing gloves.

Shigeo turned to Rage. "Hey! What do you think you're doing!?"

 _ **"That Kuroda boy has a ton of physical potential. He already runs, so his stamina must be excellent. In any case, I don't expect him to win, so just consider this a scouting assessment from me."**_

Shigeo furrowed his brow and raised a hand. "I'm going to stop it."

Then, Rage dashed in front of him and shoved Shigeo several feet away. _**"I won't let you!"**_

"Kageyama-kun!" Kuroda shouted.

Shigeo gritted his teeth. This definitely complicated things. On one hand, Shigeo's friend was in the ring fighting against an evil spirit he had no chance of beating in a boxing match. On the other hand, Shigeo was dealing with a surprisingly powerful evil spirit who happened to be possessing his other friend, which could result in some serious injury for her if he wasn't careful.

The esper boy watched Rage jump around energetically in a wide area in front of him. It was clear to Shigeo that Rage was trying to make himself a tougher target. If Shigeo couldn't catch him cleanly, then he might possibly cause irreversible damage to Mezato's body. Apparently, Rage was aware of this fact.

 _ **"What's wrong, boy? Can't handle this lightning fast footwork? How would this girl react if she found out she put the moves on you in a sparring match? She'd never let you hear the end of it!"** _Rage taunted.

* * *

Kuroda eyed the other fighter cautiously. Considering how busy Kageyama was, he was on his own here. He thought back to what little boxing training he had. His uncle's voice resonated in his mind.

 _So you make sure you keep a consistent rhythm and motion as you work the bag. As you work up a sweat, try to slowly build up speed, but make sure your sense of rhythm stays consistent._

Like hell that'd work here! He's fighting a real, moving, professional, undead opponent! Not a nutsack-looking thing hanging from the ceiling!

The futility of his situation sunk in, and he began to panic. "Kageyama! Morishima-san! Help! Help!" He turned to grab at the metal bars surrounding the ring.

Unsurprisingly, Kageyama was occupied. Morishima, however, had walked over to his corner. "Calm down, idiot. He hasn't hit you yet, so you still have a chance, right?" She commented.

Kuroda let out an exasperated breath. "It's easy for you to be calm in this situation! You aren't the one standing inside this cage!"

"Relax. Take some deep breaths. I don't expect you to actually fight him head on, but I think we might be able to figure out a way around this."

Suddenly, the sound of a bell ringing resounded throughout the gym, and Kuroda's opponent began advancing towards him.

"HELP MEEEEE!"

Morishima reached a hand through the cage and pushed him farther in. "Just survive."

* * *

Rage smirked. _**"That's the bell. Come on, then."**_

He dashed forward and threw a punch, which Shigeo was able to jump away from with ease.

Think, Shigeo. You've been in this situation before. Your opponent isn't nearly as powerful the last time, but you have to be quick. One of your friends is fighting for his life inside that cage waiting for you to save him.

He raised a hand again to try and keep Mezato's body still, but Rage was able to close the distance between them again and interrupt him.

Rage's disgusting smirk was still plastered on Mezato's face as he advanced again and threw another attack at Shigeo.

* * *

Kuroda staggered back as a punch nicked past his cheek, creating a minor cut. Warthog wasn't fast. Not even a little bit. Still, the amount of power he had behind each punch was staggering, and if Kuroda wasn't careful, he'd probably go down if one of those hit him flush.

Kuroda kept walking backwards evading punches until he found himself cornered. The spotlight above him entered his vision, forcefully constricting his pupils as he had been sitting in the dark. He brought a hand up to his eyes.

"Kuroda! Look out."

Uh oh. This is it. Kuroda shut his eyes and threw his other hand up to his face to brace for impact.

But nothing came. The long-distance runner blinked a few times before looking forward to see that the other fighter had staggered back and away from the light.

Kuroda looked up. One of the lights had shattered earlier, but two of them were still fine. The one above Kuroda was actually turned on.

Morishima looked up as well and realized that the two lights that hadn't been destroyed were movable spotlights. If Warthog was afraid of these lights, then there had to be a reason for it.

She focused hard on the light above her and raised a hand up to it.

The light above Kuroda moved over and shined onto Warthog.

 **"Ah! Whoa! Argh! Oh my goodness!"** Warthog reeled backwards and fell backwards onto his rear.

Kuroda eyes widened in surprise and he threw his hands up above him, then turned around to look at Morishima. "Wh-what! I knocked him down! He's down!"

Morishima jumped up and frantically pointed behind him. "Turn back around you idiot! He's getting up!"

And Warthog got up indeed, as the moment Kuroda whirled around to face his adversary a ghostly boxing glove collided with his chest.

Kuroda fell backwards and against the ropes. Morishima ran over to him.

"You moron! Pay attention."

Kuroda sniffled. "It hurts!"

 _ **1!**_

 _ **2!**_

"Hurry! The count already started!"

"Morishima-san. It really hurts!"

The girl let out a sigh. "It's gonna be okay! I have an idea. Just get up and try to survive again. Look! It's not that bad! He only hit you once! It wasn't even in the head!"

 ** _6!_**

 ** _7!_**

Kuroda grabbed the ropes and pulled himself up. Actually, he felt completely fine! The area where he got punched stung, but aside from that he didn't feel that bad.

"Hey. You're right!"

"Idiot."

The bell rung again, and a stool floated over to Kuroda's corner. The lights shut off. The boy looked around suspiciously before taking a seat on the stool.

"What the hell!? Didn't Rage tell me he would let me go if I knocked him down?"

Morishima turned to where Rage and Kageyama were. "It seems they're a bit preoccupied at the moment. I don't think he was watching."

"That's complete bull!"

"I think he already decided you were going to lose before you even started."

Kuroda clapped his hands in frustration. "Man!"

Morishima rubbed her chin. "Okay. Listen carefully. Once the next round starts. I want you to do the same thing you did last round. But this time, try to make sure you don't move around the ring too much. If you can get him to stay in one spot the entire time, I can get a clean shot and shine the spotlight right onto him. It looks like the light hurts him."

Kuroda nodded. "Hey, Morishima-san?"

"Yeah?"

"If I die here, can you tell my mom I'm sorry for accidentally busting her childhood bicycle when we went on vacation at-"

"Wh-no! Didn't you hear what Rage said? He doesn't plan on killing us. He said he wants us to stay here for eternity to become his trainees, which is even worse! Anyway-"

The bell rung again, and the stool under Kuroda began to float away, causing him to fall backwards onto the ropes and clumsily try to stay on his feet.

The light above Kuroda flashed on again.

"Just remember what I said. I have an idea."

* * *

Rage finally managed to land a solid hook on Shigeo's face.

The boy reeled back in pain, but stayed on his feet.

Rage whistled in astonishment. _**"Wow. You're a tough one ain't ya? Unfortunately for you, I can clearly see you're relying entirely on psychic power,"**_ Rage jumped backwards again and continued his wild movements. _**"There's still a lot of work to be done on you yet!**_

Shigeo rubbed his sleeve against his cheek. Even though he nullified some of the impact, it still hurt a lot. "Please stop this. These are my friends, you know. I only just met the two of them earlier this week, and I wanted our high school life to start off on the right foot."

 ** _"That's no concern of mine. You see, boy. I might be dead, but I have some great aspirations of my own,"_** Then, Rage scowled harshly. Shigeo thought that, somehow, the expression didn't look too farfetched on Mezato's face. _ **"And you've set me back several steps after you so kindly exorcised all but one of my entire boxer base!"**_

Shigeo frowned. He wasn't talking his way out of this one. Rage jumped forward again and threw another punch, which Shigeo once again was able to soften the impact of with a barrier.

However, this time, Rage opted not to jump back and instead continued with a combination of punches. Still, they were unable to pass through the barrier Shigeo had created around himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kuroda tried his best to keep Warthog in one spot. He really did. But Warthog began to resort to throwing his entire weight behind his punches, which meant he was moving forward a meter or so every time he threw a punch. Kuroda was agile enough to dodge these, but he couldn't do anything to stop Warthog's advance.

 **"Come here you little punk string bean!"** Then, Warthog finally decided to try and throw the slowest haymaker possible by a professional. The overhead right-hand sailed and badly missed its target. Then, Kuroda found himself standing directly behind the professional undead pugilist.

"Jump on him!" He heard Morishima shout. Without thinking, he complied, wrapping his arms around Warthog's neck.

 **"Are you trying to choke me out? I don't need to breathe, you know."**

Then, suddenly, the spotlight over Kuroda's corner moved over to where he and Warthog were.

 **"Ack! Grahh!"** Warthog shook Kuroda off of him, who was able to stay on his feet and grab a hold of the top ropes.

 **"That's cheating!"** The boxer accused, staggering out of the light.

Then, another spotlight flashed on top of him.

 **"No! No!"** No matter what he tried to do, the light would not stop following him.

Kuroda and Morishima both watched, stunned, as Warthog began to dissipate into nothingness while screaming in agony.

Then, Warthog was no more. The cage lowered back into the floor beneath them. Morishima pulled herself onto the canvas and rushed over to Kuroda.

"Hey! Are you okay?"

The boy brushed himself off, grabbing at the area where he had been punched before. "Uh, yeah. I think. I have a cut on my cheek but I think I'm fine."

"Here," Morishima reached into her bag and gave him a bottle of water. "That fight only lasted about 3 or 4 minutes, but I'm sure you're tired."

He took it gratuitously. "Thanks. We should go check on Kageyama."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

Rage grinned. _**"The cage just lowered. Let's go see how your friend is doing."**_

Shigeo frowned. He hoped Kuroda wasn't seriously hurt. And what was Morishima up to?

Then, the girl appeared behind Rage and socked him over the back of the head with an old punch mitt.

 _ **"Ow! What in blazes..?"**_

Kuroda ran over and grabbed Mezato's abdomen from behind, locking her arms at her sides.

"Kageyama-kun! Now!"

 _ **"No! Stop this! Stop this!"**_

Shigeo blinked at the very sudden turn of events before smiling. "Thanks guys." He raised a hand towards Mezato and let out a breath.

* * *

When Mezato came to, she was staring up at three shadowy figures.

"Oh, hey. She's waking up."

"Wait, don't touch her! Let me assess her first. I want to make sure she's completely okay."

What happened? Did one of her investigations go awry? Had she been kidnapped? Where even was she? This place reeked of dust and sweat and mold.

Then, she reached up to her chest and began to panic when she realized her camera wasn't there.

She jumped up. "Wh-where am I!? Who are you?"

The three people before her flinched at her sudden outburst. "Mezato, it's me, Kageyama. These two here are my friends."

She squinted a bit at the dark figure before her. "Mob-kun?"

Then it hit her.

"Wha- Hey! You three locked me outside! You shouldn't be here!"

The other girl frowned. "And neither should you."

Mezato raised an eyebrow and realized that they had caught her sneaking in. "Oh, um. Wait, did you attack me!?"

Mob shook his head. "No. You tripped over some of the old equipment in here and hit your head against the floor. You scared us."

Mezato tilted her head. "Really?" She tried to recollect some of her memories. She felt as though she could vaguely recall punching Mob in the face, but that didn't feel right. "Oh, I see."

"Mezato-san. Why don't you go home and get some rest? That fall was very scary."

The other boy that Mezato didn't know tried to stifle a sneer. "Yeah. It scared the hell out of me, I'll tell you that much."

She stared at the three of them closely. "Hmm," She turned to retrieve her belongings from off the floor and checked her camera for any damage. "Okay, then. Doesn't explain why you needed to take off my jacket or my camera or anything like that, but I'll take your word for it."

The three of them stared dumbly as she walked past them and began to head out the door. "Bye, then. See you later, Mob-kun."

The door opened with a harsh creak as she stepped out.

What met her outside was a floating booger looking thing with red dimples.

"Oh, it's just her. Ah well, I suppose everything is okay after all. I suppose I'll go back to Reigen." The spirit began to float away.

Mezato needed to bite into her sleeve, hard, in order to stop herself from screaming.

Nevertheless, she followed after it.

* * *

The three esper teens sat silently in a ramen cart.

"I don't think she believed us." Shigeo said.

Morishima sighed. "Meh, who cares. I think we should've just told her the truth. It would've scared her from trying to get involved with us again."

Shigeo shook his head. "No. Actually I think it would have convinced her to involve herself with us more."

Kuroda groaned. "You already know what I think about the whole ordeal. Who even was that chick, Kageyama? She said she was with her school newspaper but you seemed to know each other pretty well."

Morishima giggled. "What did she call you? Mob-kun? Where did that nickname come from?"

Shigeo shrugged. "She's just an old friend from middle school. Mezato-san goes to Lemon Pepper. She likes to get involved with exciting things. Anyway, I'm really sorry for what happened. I should have entered first to make sure it was safe. The three of you should never have needed to-"

Kuroda and Morishima both cut him off.

"Are you kidding? That was so much fun!" Morishima.

"You should be sorry! I almost died!" Kuroda.

Shigeo stayed silent and was at a bit of a loss as to how to respond to their contradicting statements. Then, he couldn't help but smile as the two of them began to bicker once again.

This was nice. It hadn't been that long, but already he felt a nice connection with these two. The day's events didn't go exactly as he would have liked, but he was just glad that his friends were all unharmed. Still, he was worried about Mezato-san. She didn't seem too happy the entire time she was conscious, and there was a small possibility that she would eventually recall everything that had unfolded.

Shigeo silently slurped his noodles in deep thought as his friends quarreled among themselves.

* * *

Mezato walked behind the spirit closely. Something about it seemed oddly familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on exactly why. It doesn't seem like it's noticed her following it yet, so she's kept a low profile.

The spirit looked back and saw her again.

"Oh, shit. She's still there? Where is she going?" The spirit stopped and waited for her to move.

No matter, Mezato knew where Reigen's was, so she casually walked past the spirit and in the direction of the spirit council.

When she eventually reached it, she noticed that the unsightly spirit had become increasingly discomforted.

Whens he entered, Kurata-senpai was gone, but Reigen still was.

The man blinked in surprise upon recognizing her and raised an eyebrow. "You're back. So, did you find out what Mob was up to?"

The girl abruptly pointed up at the booger spirit floating above her head. "What the hell is this thing!?"

Both the Psychic Genius and the Evil Spirit did a spit take.


End file.
